It’s been almost 15 years since I penned “The Deerpark Mines”, my first and most precious song. The song is about an ex-miner revisiting the ruins of the mines after its closure in 1969. Growing up in Castlecomer/ Moneenroe / Clogh locality, the mines were an ever-present part of local folklore and tradition. Much of my initial exposure to the mines came from school, and the book ‘In the Shadow of the Mine’ by the late Seamus Walsh. I had the privilege of sharing many a stage, pint and chat with Seamie over the years. He was a dear friend and